Every year, when the results of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) are declared, headlines across the country announce the success of students from small towns making it to the Indian Institutes of Technology. These stories are inspiring because they show that talent is not confined to metros. A student from a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city may not have had access to high-end coaching centers, but with determination and grit, they often secure an enviable rank. The real test, however, begins not with the JEE but with the first semester inside IIT.
For many of these students, the transition is a culture shock. They arrive at campuses that are sprawling, buzzing with activity, and overflowing with opportunities. The infrastructure, the labs, the lecture halls, and the sheer number of activities feel like stepping into another world. For a student who has grown up in a smaller city, where the rhythm of life is slower and academic environments are more structured and familiar, IIT can feel overwhelming in the first few weeks.
The Shock of Relative Grading
One of the earliest academic shocks is the relative grading system. In school, students are used to an absolute grading structure: score 90 marks and you’re at the top, score 60 and you know where you stand. At IIT, grades are determined in comparison with peers. You might get 70 out of 100, but if most students score 80, your grade drops. This is bewildering for students from small towns who have been toppers all their lives. Suddenly, they are no longer the “brightest” in the room.
The psychological impact of this cannot be overstated. A student who has always been praised for being first may feel a sharp decline in self-esteem when they discover that “average” at IIT is still excellent by any external standard. Without support, many internalize this as failure rather than a recalibration of benchmarks.
Too Many Things, Too Fast
Another challenge is the explosion of choice and activity. IITs are well-organized institutions, with timetables, online platforms, and student handbooks that attempt to provide structure. But for a first-year student, the sheer number of courses, instructions, assignments, clubs, and activities can feel like drowning in information.
In smaller cities, school systems are simpler. Instructions are few and personal — a teacher might remind a student multiple times to complete an assignment. At IIT, personal reminders are rare. Notices are emailed, posted on portals, or mentioned in class announcements. If you miss them, you fall behind.
It’s not that IIT is disorganized; in fact, it’s the opposite. The system is so structured that unless a student learns to manage their time and track multiple channels, it feels chaotic.
The Freedom and Its Double Edge
For many Tier 2/3 students, this is also the first time living away from home. The freedom is intoxicating. No one asks when they return to their hostel. No one checks if they’ve had dinner. Late-night hangouts, movies, or endless hours on the internet become tempting distractions. But this freedom is also a bane. Before students can realize, the first set of minor exams arrive.
Minors test the initial modules of courses and often determine how well students can perform in the major exams. If a student fails to perform in minors, catching up becomes doubly difficult, because majors build directly on concepts tested earlier. Many Tier 2/3 students stumble here — not for lack of ability, but because adjustment consumes their energy before they have built academic strategies.
What Can Be Better?
In recent conversations, one IIT student made a suggestion that resonates deeply: mandatory study groups, especially for students from small towns. The idea is simple but powerful. If every incoming batch was divided into small groups that met regularly, not for competition but for collaborative learning, students could share notes, clarify doubts, and keep each other on track.
Such study groups would ensure that those unfamiliar with the self-service style of IIT academics would not be left behind. In smaller schools, peer learning often happens naturally. At IIT, where the environment is both competitive and isolating, creating intentional study groups could soften the transition.
Centralized Systems with Essentials First
Most IITs already have portals where announcements, schedules, and resources are uploaded. But one recurring complaint is that there is too much information scattered across multiple platforms. One place for lecture notes, another for exam timetables, a third for club activities — it’s easy to lose track.
A practical improvement would be to create tiered portals:
- Essentials: Core academic schedules, exam dates, assignments, and deadlines.
- Add-ons: Clubs, activities, extra resources, cultural events.
This way, first-semester students would not feel buried under information overload. They could focus first on essentials and then gradually explore add-ons as they gained confidence.
The Human Side of Adjustment
Apart from systems, what Tier 2/3 students need most is emotional reassurance. Teachers, mentors, and seniors can play a critical role here. A small word like, “It’s okay not to ace your first minor,” can mean the difference between resilience and despair.
Parents too, need to recalibrate expectations. Many families expect their child to remain a topper even in IIT. This expectation is unrealistic and burdensome. Supporting children means reminding them that they are now in a pool of the country’s brightest minds, and being “average” here is no failure.
“The journey from small town topper to IIT freshman is not just about academics. It is about building resilience, learning to navigate complexity, and finding your balance.”
Practical Suggestions for Support
- Mentorship Programs: Pair incoming Tier 2/3 students with seniors from similar backgrounds. Shared experience makes guidance relatable.
- Mandatory Study Groups: Create structured, peer-led groups for the first semester, with check-ins from faculty.
- Tiered Information Portals: Separate essentials from add-ons to reduce overwhelm.
- Soft Skills Workshops: Train students in time management, note-taking, and digital literacy early in the semester.
- Parental Counseling: Orient parents during induction to reset expectations and provide emotional support from home.
Making it to IIT from a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city is a remarkable achievement. But sustaining success inside IIT requires more than intelligence. It requires adaptation to a new grading system, navigating a flood of information, balancing freedom with responsibility, and building resilience after the first stumbles.
IITs, to their credit, already provide many resources. But intentional support — especially through study groups and simplified information systems — can ensure that students from smaller towns do not fall through the cracks.
As parents and educators, we must remember: the first semester is not just about marks, it is about adjustment. A student who learns to find their rhythm in that crucial phase will thrive not only in IIT but in life beyond it.